JAKARTA – Committee I of Indonesian Regional Representative Council (DPD RI) assesses that the large affirmation policy given to the village has the opportunity to produce major changes for village governments and village communities throughout Indonesia.
If proper implementation and supervision of the policy are in place, it is believed to bring changes in the form of village independence.
This was conveyed in a joint working meeting with the Ministry of Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions, and Transmigration (Kemendes PDTT) held at DPD RI Building, Parliament Complex Senayan Jakarta, Tuesday (25/6).
“Affirmation policies are expected to have a significant impact on village independence,” said the Vice Chairman of Committee I Filep Wamafma when opening the working meeting.
The implementation of major changes for village governments, he continued, can also have the opposite result that is creating new problems for villages.
Some of these problems include the weak capacity of village officials to implement the Village Law.
“A large village fund requires a large capacity to manage and be accountable for it,” he said.
During the meeting, Secretary General of the Kemendes PDTT Taufik Madjid explained that the government is currently changing the paradigm by seeing villages as the foundation of the nation’s development.
Therefore, the enactment of Law No. 3/2004 as the second amendment to Law No. 6/2014 is a momentum to reaffirm the position of the village as a sovereign legal community unit.
“Villages must be strong, advanced, independent, democratic, and prosperous. In order to achieve all of that, the village must be empowered in exercising its authority,” he said.
Taufik added that the use of village funds is prioritized for the development of productive economic businesses that are mainly managed by Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMD) and Joint BUMD.
A total of 1,487 Joint BUMD that have been incorporated as legal entities become a force in villages to further develop its cooperation, both between villages and villages with third parties, in order to have a better social and economic impact in the areas.
“The development of villages is an important part of regional development and the realization of growth centers at the local level based on villages in regencies/cities,” he explained.
Closing the meeting, Filep said that the issuance of Act No. 3/2024 is expected to be able to realize a more advanced, independent, and prosperous village through improving the performance of the village government.
“Committee I of DPD RI has an interest in carrying out the supervisory function for the implementation of the Act so that it runs on track,” he concluded.
